The Hunter vs The Champion
by Galactic Dragon
Summary: After a near-death experience in lake valor, Pokemon Hunter J shows up at the Sinnoh league with one request to champion Cynthia, a battle.


"The Winner of this year's Sinnoh league tournament is, Tobias" an announcer called out. The crowd cheered and applauded, some of the audience held disappointment, but to show good nature they applauded the winner.

Fireworks went off, Tobias held the trophy in his hands. Cynthia stood by him to congratulate him on his efforts as they watched the metal torch, slowly go out. Cynthia looked upward as the fireworks decorated the starry night sky. "We'd like to thank each of our trainers for competing in this year's tournament" the announcer said over the speaker.

"Champion..." A different voice said over the speaker, a woman's voice. Cynthia turned around to see a figure walking down the dark hall, hidden by the shadows. A few select people in the crowd recognized the voice with unbelievable shock. The crowd quieted down as the lone figure stepped into the stadium. Cynthia was met with the sight of a woman with short silver hair and blue eyes hidden behind a pair of shades. Her clothing was dark and draped down, not unlike the champion's own trench coat.

Cynthia was taken back, It was none other than the infamous Pokemon hunter J herself. The crowd gasped in shock, some quickly looked around with the urge to flee clutching their belongings closely. Cynthia stepped down and walked towards the hunter, she took a mental note that her arm cannon was gone, and the glasses she wore were just a simple pair of plastic shades.

"You won't be stealing anyone's Pokemon, Hunter J", Cynthia said, she should arrest her right here and now, but her curiosity got the best of her. The hunter really had escaped her sinking airship in lake valor, but unlike her crew she escaped the authorities. J removed the microphone headpiece she had used to get her attention earlier.

J fixed her gaze directly at her, Cynthia had never met J in person, but this was not normally like her from what she had heard. "I don't want your Pokemon", J said. The crowd stared intently at the two of them murmuring things to each other. "Then what do you want?" Cynthia glared. "I want to know, what it means to be a pokemon trainer" J said.

Of all the things to say, this took Cynthia by surprise "You're challenging me?", She said unable to believe the Hunter's words. "Yes", J said simply. Cynthia thought to herself for a moment before pointing to a referee motioning for him to come over. Cynthia then whispered to him "Contact the authorities in case this is a trick, but set up a 6 on 6 battle". The referee looked shocked she was actually going to accept J's challenge but hurried off.

"Very well Hunter J, as Champion I accept your challenge", She said. A field was being set into place as the two women stared each other down. Both were none for giving looks that could make even the bravest falter, but head on head they seemed to create a cloud of tension so thick it was practically visible.

"Well ladies and gentlemen this is a first, it appears we will have one more battle, get ready, because it's a full 6 on 6 with the champion", the announcer said with so much excitement it resonated perfectly with the crowds emotions. "GO CYNTHIA!", the audience roared. An overhead screen glowed to life showing an image of Cynthia and Hunter J each one having six colored Pokeballs underneath the pictures to show the status of each member of their team.

Cynthia pulled out a pokeball "Allow me to see the bond you have with your pokemon", she said tossing out a pokeball. "Go Spiritomb", she said as the shadowy spirit pokemon landed on the field. "Stand by, Houndoom" J said, sending out her own pokemon, the horned greyhound like pokemon landed on the field with a howl. J did have more than just salamence, drapion, and ariados, but in her hunts unless they were needed for a special job she didn't take them out with her.

Since her near death experience in lake valor J had been shaken to the core. Though she would never admit it to anyone, the thought of having it all end for her and Salamence ate away at her on the inside. J could've easily had resumed hunting, but her thoughts had taken her elsewhere. The champion was everyone's role model, a figure looked up upon by many, and she was just the opposite. She always went on and on about the bonds of trainer and pokemon, J wanted to know what it truly meant. Upon her being in the sinking aircraft, it had flashed through her head, what mattered most to her?

J's eyes narrowed "Flamethrower Houndoom", J said. houndoom spat a torrent of fire at the spirit pokemon "Silver wind!" Cynthia directed. The attack was blown off course, "Now dark pulse!". "Counter it with your own dark pulse Houndoom". The attacks clashed once more, causing an explosion to kick up dust. The two women's pokemon clashed fiercely sending attack after attack at each other. Bright flashes decorated the battlefield as the two pokemon fought intensely not wanting to lose the fight for their owners.

"Use Fire blast!", J said. That did it, spiritomb had been pushed to its limit already and was unable to do the same amount of damage houndoom was causing to it. "Spiritomb is unable to battle", the referee declared. A shout of negativity ran through the crowd as one of the spheres under Cynthia's picture went dark.

Cynthia put a hand up as if to tell the audience to be quiet "Togekiss", she called sending it out next. The flying pokemon took flight gracefully, Cynthia had it use aura sphere which struck houndoom with devastating effect as it struggled to get up. "Thunder fang", J directed, it gave a final charge at togekiss only for the pokemon to avoid it just in time to counter with an aura sphere. Houndoom collapsed to the ground in defeat and exhaustion.

The crowd cheered as J withdrew it "Weavile", she said sending out another one of her pokemon. "Ice punch", J ordered, weavile lunged with incredible speed striking togekiss, the two pokemon proceeded to engage trying to exploit the other's type weakness. Cynthia looked her in the eyes "Why do you have to hunt pokemon, you had perfect potential to be a great trainer". "If only it were that simple" J said with annoyance. "What do you mean?", Cynthia pushed.

"I'll tell you what I mean champion! Not everyone gets to live in a delusion that the world is a nice supportive place, because it isn't" J snarled. "It's cold harsh, this isn't my experience, this is reality. Just because you had everything go your way doesn't mean that everyone does. I need to make a living, and if i had to sell pokemon, then so be it" J said.

Cynthia closed her eyes "you have a lot to learn, I only hope you get to do so in time", she said as her togekiss hit the ground, no longer able to battle. Her expression was hard to read. Cynthia sent out her lucario next "Aura Sphere" she ordered. "Counter with brick break weavile", J ordered, her pokemon proceeded to smash the incoming ball of energy in mid air.

Weavile raced forward "Close combat", Cynthia ordered as it struck it with brick break. Moments later weavile fainted, but not without injuring lucario in the process. J returned it before sending out her Drapion.

Bit by bit they defeated eachother's pokemon J had lost houndoom, weavile, drapion, ariados, and her eelektross. Cynthia had lost spiritomb, togekiss, roserade, lucario, and her milotic. It was just salamence vs garchomp now, the two dragons met with a death glare to the other "Giga Impact", Cynthia said, garchomp lunged at salamence with blinding speed. "Hyper beam", J ordered, salamence struck garchomp dead on at point blank before it slammed into Salamence, sending them both crashing to the side.

"Take flight Salamence" J said, her pokemon glanced at her with a trusted look and flapped its wings, getting into the air. "Stay on it Garchomp, don't give them time to counter" Cynthia said as her own pokemon jumped for salamence. salamence retailed with flamethrower on J's orders making sure to keep its distance from the deadly pokemon. "Draco meteor", Cynthia said "hit it with dragon pulse", J retailated. The two forces of energy struck in mid air giving off a heavy explosion in the process.

"You share trust with your Salamence Hunter J", Cynthia noted as their dragon pokemon fought claw to claw, avoiding the other's strikes while having little success in landing their own. "It's been with me for a long time, I keep her close" J said. Cynthia expression lightened a bit "You are not as different as you think", she said as salamence landed near J after being flung by garchomp. "I've had a life unlike anything you would ever know champion", She said. This time garchomp hit the ground on Cynthia's end of the field.

"I know, no one can change the past, and you can't ignore where you came from", Cynthia said. "I have always been intertwined with hunting, and even if I had wanted to stop I had no hope of doing it, the repercussions. I would never see Salamence again, I had one path, and one alone" J said. "I think I'm finally starting to understand you J", Cynthia said. Garchomp and Salamence were both looking battle-weary "Draco Meteor", Cynthia called out. "Dragon pulse", J shouted as the attacks clashed once more in a bright explosion.

garchomp and salamence could no longer hold on and her both on the ground. "Garchomp and Salamence are both unable to battle. This match has been declared a draw" the referee said. J returned her Salamence and walked towards Cynthia who had done the same to Garchomp. "You battled well" Cynthia complemented holding out her hand. J removed her shades and closed them her blue eyes meeting Cynthia's as she reached out and took it. "Thank you for battling me Cynthia", J said as her lip curled by the almost undetectable amount. Cynthia found no malice in her, not anymore

"I don't want to break the bond between you and Salamence by separating the two of you. If you'd be willing to, we could work out a deal, I imagine some of the information you have on your clients could be used in the authorities favor" Cynthia said. J closed her eyes as if making a decision, could she trust the champion? Her gaze shifted to salamence's pokeball and then back to Cynthia "I suppose so" J said, she could only hope the champion would forgive her. Cynthia's expression lightened "Alright, stay by me. I promise I won't let you and Salamence be seperated".


End file.
